Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/27719
“Our success at reducing the levels of indoor pollutants was totally based on communication and a commitment to shared priorities,” she told legislators. “We included the superintendent, the school board, the building and custodial staff, the EPA, and the Solano County Asthma Co- alition. We taught teachers how to identify and report asthma triggers in their class- rooms at the earliest stages using an EPA- adapted classroom checklist so they could be quickly addressed at the source.” (To access the checklist, visit www.epa.gov/iaq/ schools/managingasthma.html). CTA Board member Don Bridge also at- tended the policy briefing, which was host- ed by Assembly Member Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica). Bridge noted that legis- lators learned from EPA spokesman Shelly Rosenblum’s presentation that budget cuts might be exacerbating asthma problems in some school sites because rooms are being cleaned less often resulting in increased dust, and that deferred maintenance may result in more leaks and dirty air fil- ters. Bridge also noted that portable classrooms — which were intended to be temporary — have become perma- nent fixtures at many school sites and tend to leak more than regular class- rooms over time. CTA’s Community Outreach staff, which oversees the Healthy Air, Healthy Kids project, wrote and helped produce a DVD and other ma- terials on how teachers can become more proactive in their classrooms and at the district level in promoting healthier practices and policies in schools. Community Outreach staff also educate CTA members at work- shops and conferences and at the local association level on how to re- duce asthma triggers in their class- room, and can be contacted at (650) 552-5468 for more information and materials. SHERRY POSNICK-GOODWIN Where do California teachers go when it’s their turn to learn? More teachers choose Brandman University. In 2009, we issued over 700 teaching credentials, making us California’s second largest private school issuer of CCTC credentials. How does a new school get so big, so fast? Simple. We’re not new. Brandman is the new name for Chapman University College. We’re changing more than our name. Our School of Education has a new dean and a sharp focus on helping the next generation of teachers embrace technology and innovate in the classroom. Find out how Brandman University is building on the legacy of Chapman University College. Call 800-746-0353 Click brandman.edu/education Follow us CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY SYSTEM Brandman University is a non-profit institution accredited by, and a member of, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Credential, authorization and professional certificates in education programs are accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. BUCO0257_CaliEducator_EducationAd_em0.indd 1 2/4/11 10:20 AM MARCH 2011 | www.cta.org 27